Possible Reason For Sore Shoulder When Kayak Fishing - Life Jacket!

[hoosierbass07]

 Sunday evening I went kayak fishing for a few hours for the first time in a few weeks.  It was very calm out and very nice and comfortable.  No bass bites though.  

 

 Anyway, since I started kayak fishing in the spring I have dealt with a sore right shoulder.  I've been trying to figure out why.  At first I thought it was my heavy Ride 115 that weighs 78 pounds.  I'm not a kid anymore but I don't consider myself old either so I found it perplexing why unloading and loading this kayak in the back of the bed of a truck was making my right shoulder sore.  I also do all my casting with my right shoulder.  So I figured it was the weight of the kayak, my casting over and over, and paddling, that has made my right shoulder very sore.  I should say that my left shoulder hardly gets sore at all.  

 

 Anyway, I went out Sunday evening and started casting and noticed pain in my right shoulder again.  I thought - what's the deal?  I've only paddled for a minute or two and only made a few casts.  Then I starting thinking carefully and studied my motion when I cast.  Then I zeroed in on something - my Stohlquist Fisherman High Back Life jacket. I noticed my right arm can not make a normal cast forward because of the right front pocket that sticks out.  That pocket seems to be blocking the full motion of my right arm/shoulder.  

 

 So, I took the vest off and laid it on my legs and went on fishing.  The pain lessened and when I got home I had no pain at all.  

 

 Ever since I started kayaking fishing I've had this Stohlquist life jacket.  It's the one thing that I have always had on.  Now I'm thinking it is the cause of the pain/discomfort in the my right shoulder.  

 

 So the next time I go out I'm not going to wear this jacket.  I'll take it with me but I'm not putting it on.  I will fish and cast hard and see how my right shoulder feels. But I'm willing to bet I will feel fine.  

 

 I had some anger with my kayak being so heavy.  Now I think it was not the kayak at all but that life jacket! 

[MikeinFresno]

some folks use a non-fishing PFD to have less on them, more comfortable to some. I have one and it is cut with more room around the arms.

[Christian M]

All due respect, not wearing a life jacket while fishing out of a kayak isn't the smartest thing to do. You can go to the sporting goods store and get one of the inflatable PFD's so that it doesnt feel like you're wearing a vest at all. I've been on the water all my life and the only time I dont wear my vest is when I'm on my trolling motor on my Boat. When I'm in my Kayak or Canoe, the vest never comes off. I made the mistake of leaving my vest in my Canoe instead of wearing it once, and all I can say is thank God I'm a good swimmer.

[Snakehead Whisperer]

x2 on getting a life jacket that is comfortable to wear. My PFD saved my life last year.

 

I'd buy the most comfortable life jacket you can afford, if it were me, and wear it.

[gulfcaptain]

I would invest in one of the auto inflatables for sure.  Use one when I'm float tubing and hope that it never has to be inflated but feel better knowing I have one on and not about how am I gonna swim back to shore in waders and this cold water I'm in. 

[hoosierbass07]

 I have a cheaper regular life jacket that I'm going to try on the weekend.  Then I'll see if it's the life jacket or not.  I'm willing to bet it is.  

[flyfisher]

Sounds like you found the culprit to me.  As far as wearing a life jacket is concerned, it is up to you if you want to wear one.  I usually wear mine but in brutally hot days i will take it off or if i am paddling upstream on ar over to float back.  To me it is no different than being on the front deck of a bass boat and fishing without one.  Now in cold water, anything under 60 or so i am wearing it the entire time. 

 

I just find it funny how people are so quick to get on people in a kayak or canoe about wearing a PFD but nobody says anything about a person on the deck of a bass boat.

[tntitans21399]

Are you paddling correctly? Their is a correct way to paddle and maybe you are in a bad habit and has caught up to you.

[ClackerBuzz]

x2 on getting a life jacket that is comfortable to wear. My PFD saved my life last year.

 

I'd buy the most comfortable life jacket you can afford, if it were me, and wear it.

Snakehead's post is what made me finally go out and buy a nice life jacket over the winter.  'nice' meaning one that feels comfortable so i wear it. it took a little figuring out but i realized i needed a vest that I could fit a hoodie underneath.  i might look silly but i'm safe in the worst conditions...cold water